


Oblivious

by winterwaters



Category: A Song of Ice and Fire - George R. R. Martin, Game of Thrones (TV)
Genre: Advice, Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, F/M, First Kiss, Fluff, Jealousy, Prompt Fic, Prompt Fill, Relationship Advice
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-08-28
Updated: 2013-08-28
Packaged: 2017-12-24 21:14:51
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,436
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/944730
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/winterwaters/pseuds/winterwaters
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>This is for xoshakeitoutxo on Tumblr, who requested a fic where Arya goes to Gendry for "boy advice" - she's actually talking about him, but he doesn't realize it and gets jealous. </p><p>Two chapters with two scenarios: Gendry going to Arya for "girl advice" and vice versa.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Girl Advice

**Author's Note:**

> Inadvertently, I had written a fic a while ago that was the opposite scenario, with Gendry having to go to Arya for advice. So I decided to make this 2 chapters, 2 scenarios. Chapter 1 will be Gendry going to Arya for advice and Chapter 2 will be the opposite, in a different situation. Hopefully this also fills some of the guest/anon requests I've had for jealous Gendry/Arya! hope you enjoy :)

“Sansa, you know a lot of girls, right?” Jon asked.

Arya looked at him suspiciously as she took the washed dish from Sansa, drying it with a towel and putting it away. When she looked back up, her sister was wearing the same odd look on her face. 

“Why?”

Jon held out his hands in mock surrender. “No! Not for me. For Gendry.”

“What?!” Arya nearly dropped her plate. Saving it at the last moment, it clanked on the counter with a loud ring. She stared at the polished surface, gripping it until her knuckles were white and she was sure her hands wouldn’t betray her again.

Sansa looked at her shrewdly before turning back to Jon. “Why, exactly, is this helpful to Gendry?”

“He likes someone. I’ve been trying to get it out of him for a week but he won’t give me a name.” Jon shrugged. “I thought maybe it was because he thought he didn’t have a shot. Figured you could help, or at least get some more details out of him.”

Just then, Gendry walked into the kitchen with the leftover food containers balanced on an empty plate. 

“Where do you want this?” He asked, not seeing their expressions. When nobody replied, he looked up. “What?”

Sansa snapped out of it first, nodding her head towards the counter nearest the fridge. He nodded, very aware that he’d just walked in on something. After he set the food down, he turned around, leaning back and crossing his arms. “Everything alright with you lot?”

Arya couldn’t meet his eyes, so she furiously scrubbed at her plate with the towel, wanting to disappear.

“I told them about your secret crush,” Jon informed him. Against her best intentions, Arya took a peek at Gendry out of the corner of her eye. The blood had nearly drained from his face, and he stared at Jon in disbelief.

“Come again?” He sputtered.

“Oh come on,” Jon practically huffed. “Sansa knows most of the girls in her year _and_ our year. Besides, she’s great at giving advice.” 

Gendry looked at Sansa apologetically. “I’m sorry. You really don’t need to…ah… look, it’s not necessary. At all.” 

When Jon opened his mouth again, Gendry cut him off. “You don’t know the first thing about this,” he said evenly. “When I ask you to back off, I mean it.” 

“Would it really kill you to talk about it?” Jon replied, frustrated. 

As they argued, Arya kept her eyes down, drying dishes until she reached over to find her stack had disappeared. She looked up, expecting to see Sansa watching the boys, but instead found her older sister examining her keenly.

That was no good at all.

Sansa dried her hands and turned, clearing her throat expectantly. They fell silent, Gendry rubbing a hand over the back of his neck and looking at the floor. 

“Gendry, I do think some advice, or at least conversation, wouldn’t hurt,” she said gently, holding up a hand as Jon opened his mouth to crow. “But, I don’t think I would be of any help here.”

She paused, eyeing him. “I think you should talk to Arya.” 

His head snapped up, as did Arya’s. She was so focused on Sansa’s face that she didn’t see the understanding dawn on Gendry. Though she opened her mouth to talk, no words would form. 

Sansa continued on. “She knows you best, and you definitely need a girl’s perspective. So of the two of us, I think she’s your girl,” she stated matter-of-factly.

Arya’s heart was thumping wildly in her chest, but she couldn’t find the words to yell at Sansa. As her older sister passed by, giving her a squeeze on the arm, she could only stare, wondering what in the hell was going on in her sister’s head.

Sansa grabbed Jon on her way out, and suddenly Arya and Gendry were alone.

Unable to look at him, Arya cleared her throat several times, willing her voice to come out steady. “So, uh … do you want to talk about it?”

Gendry’s voice was no better than hers. “I don’t really know where to start.” 

“Okay. How about, um, I ask you some questions, and maybe I can figure out more about her that way.” She ran a hand through her hair. “I don’t know if I’ll be able to give you any suggestions, though. I suck at this too.” 

He chuckled softly at that, and she felt her mouth turn up for a brief second before she remembered where their conversation was headed, and everything turned sour again. She looked around for something to do, needing to keep moving. Then she spied the leftover food on the counter and decided to put it in some containers before refrigerating it.

She brushed by him to grab a chair, ignoring the tingle that went through her body at the contact. “So, when did you meet her?”

“About five months ago, when classes started up again.” 

She hopped up on the chair, putting a knee on the counter for support as she reached for the containers. “So she’s in your class? 

“No, she’s not. Do you need help?” She heard him move closer and waved him off. 

“I’m fine. So she’s not in your year? Then Sansa’s?”

“No.” 

Now Arya he turned to look at him. “ _My_ year?” 

Gendry nodded. “Why so surprised?”

She realized she was biting her lip and stopped, shrugging in response. “Dunno. Just didn’t think you’d ever like anyone that much younger.” 

“It’s not a huge difference,” he said defensively. Then he paused. “Is it?”

“Not to me,” she replied, and his face relaxed. “All the guys my age are gits anyways,” she added, looking away and missing the small, hopeful grin on his face. 

She finished getting the containers down and turned, nearly falling off the chair when she saw him standing directly in front of her. He held out his hand to help her down, and after a moment, she took it. When her feet touched the floor, she let go quickly, instantly missing his warmth as he left to put the chair back. Internally, she scolded herself for letting him get so close.

“So I’m guessing a description wouldn’t be very helpful,” she said, starting to open the food.

“Probably not. Long brown hair, quite small.”

“Everyone’s small to you,” Arya replied dryly, not needing to turn to know he was grinning. “Alright, so how did you meet, if not in class?”

Gendry hesitated. “Mutual friend.” 

Arya paused, trying to figure out who else Gendry hung out with, frowning when she couldn’t come up with a name or face besides… “Hot Pie?”

“No…Jon.” 

“Jon?” Who the hell does my brother know in my year besides me? She wondered. “Okay, so, have you hung out with her, without Jon or other people?”

“A few times, yeah.” 

Arya ignored the hurt she felt at his answer. “And?” She pushed. 

“And what?”

“Stupid,” she huffed, turning around. “What was it like? Did you talk a lot? Did she seem comfortable? Happy? Eager to get away?” 

That last one slipped out, and there it was again, that stupid grin on his face. _Stupid._ She shoved the noodles into one container rather forcefully, snapping it shut with a loud click before moving on to the next. 

“She seemed content,” he finally said thoughtfully. “It wasn’t so much that we talked a lot, just … there was no need to fill the silence, you know? We talked, but not incessantly.” 

Arya nodded in understanding despite the lump in her throat. It was much like the way she felt around him. “Yeah, I get it,” she said softly, not noticing when Gendry moved closer. She was silent for a minute, wrapped in her own thoughts.

“Listen, Arya,” he began softly, and she snapped out of it.

“Right! Sorry. So where were we?” She cut him off briskly, knowing that if he kept on going, she’d lose what little control she had left. “So she’s comfortable with you. That’s promising. Does she like music or TV or something?”

“She’s got good taste in music,” he replied, his voice still quiet, and she absently remembered he’d once said the same thing about her. 

“So is she here by herself? Or does she live with her family?”

“Her family’s huge. But no, she just lives with a couple others.” 

How have I never met this girl? Arya wondered again. She took the containers to the fridge, propping the door open with her foot as she set the food inside. When she turned around again, Gendry was leaning against the counter, his blue eyes watching her curiously. 

She crossed her arms. “So, how have I never met this person?” 

A grin flashed across his face, so quick that she thought she might have imagined it, but the amusement lingering in his eyes told her she hadn’t.

“This isn’t funny,” she told him, some of the anger and hurt slipping into her voice.

He sobered instantly, coming over to stand in front of her. “Arya,” he said quietly. “Do you really not know who I’m talking about?”

She looked at him incredulously. “How could I possibly know? You haven’t actually told me a thing about her.” 

Gendry stared down at her, indecision written all over his face for a few moments. Then he took a step closer, and she tried to move back but hit the counter instead. He took another step, and another, until their bodies were nearly touching, and she could practically feel the warmth radiating off him. 

Arya opened her mouth to ask him what game he was playing, but Gendry shushed her with a finger over her lips. “Let me tell you about her, then,” he said, smiling softly, and continued before she could tell him she didn’t want to know. 

“She’s so small, yet still manages to be a huge pain in my ass.” Arya stilled. 

“Her tongue is nearly as sharp as the switchblade she hides in her boot. I’m pretty sure her dog isn’t really a dog but a wolf hound in disguise, ready to eat me alive,” he continued, and she felt her mouth go dry. 

“She has really good taste in music, though she’ll hold it over me for days.” Now the finger by her lips was shaking slightly.

“She has a huge family, and yet she volunteers to be my family without a thought. And she calls me stupid, but can’t realize that she’s been upset at me for talking about _her_ for the past ten minutes, so really she’s no better.”

Gendry finally took his hand away, and Arya felt lightheaded. He watched her as she absorbed his words, his face unreadable. She swallowed several times, finally getting enough moisture in her mouth to speak.

“Me?” She asked weakly, and he nodded. “Are you sure?”

He grinned. “I’m sure.” 

“But…” she searched for words. “When…?”

He shrugged sheepishly. “Can’t say. One day you were my friend’s sister, then you were _my_ friend, and then you were… _Arya_.” He trailed off, tucking her hair behind her ear gently. 

Arya stared at him, still processing everything. “This is real, right? I’m not going to wake up suddenly or something?”

“Very real.” 

She nodded again, then realized the worry hadn’t quite left his eyes. “What’s wrong?”

He started at her question. “What do you mean?”

She raised an eyebrow at him. “Gendry. What’s bothering you?”

“Nothing, it’s just…ah…well….uh…”

“Spit it out!”

“Well, where do you stand on all this?”

“What?” She asked incredulously.

He ran a hand over his face. “What are you thinking, Arya?”

She tried not to laugh. “Are you saying you’re unsure of how I feel? Because if you are, then what I’m thinking is that you are even stupider than I could have possibly thought.” Her voice caught at the end, and she saw the relief in his eyes before he wrapped his arms around her tightly, lifting her off the ground. Arya clung to him just as hard, wanting to make sure he understood.

After a moment, he set her back down gently, but kept his arms around her waist. She shifted, knowing what she wanted to do but uncertain of how to go about it. 

Gendry read her instantly. “What is it?” He asked softly.

“I don’t know how to do this,” she mumbled, looking down. 

“What, exactly?”

Her face burned, and she didn’t reply. His hand gently cupped her cheek, turning her face up to his. “Arya, do you want to kiss me?”

“Yes,” she replied instantly, absently noting that his eyes lit up at her answer. 

“Then what’s wrong?” She didn’t reply, and he stroked her face gently. “Have you ever been kissed?”

Arya shook her head, embarrassed. 

“And you really think that matters to me?”

“I think it matters that a girl knows how to kiss you,” she muttered.

“You’re not just a girl. You’re Arya,” he whispered. “And if I know you at all, you’ll be better at it than everyone in no time.” 

That got a small grin out of her. 

“Until then, I can help,” Gendry added, and she nodded fervently.

His gaze stayed on hers as he leaned closer, not stopping until their noses brushed. She moved her hands uncertainly up his chest until they were locked around his neck, holding him close. When his lips brushed against the corner of her mouth, her eyes closed. Then she felt the pressure of his mouth on hers, gentle at first, until she pressed back, pushing herself onto her toes. 

Gendry’s arm wrapped around her waist, pulling her close against him, while the hand on her face traveled into her hair. He tilted her head, deepening the angle of the kiss, and Arya dizzily realized why people liked this so much. Her hands moved of their own accord, raking through his short hair and making him hum in agreement against her mouth. 

The sound of a door slamming made them both jump, and they pulled apart reflexively, though Gendry kept his grip on her hand. 

“Sorry, that was just Jon,” Sansa yelled. “You guys alright in there?”

“We’re fine,” Arya called back. Her hand involuntarily came up to trace her mouth where Gendry’s lips had been not a moment before. When he pulled her close again, she went willingly, molding her body against his.

He sucked softly on her lower lip, leaving her legs unsteady, before his mouth covered hers once more. He kissed her slowly, softly, until they were both shaking and had to pull away. Even so, he couldn’t stop placing kisses along her jaw, grinning against her skin when he found a ticklish spot. 

Arya sighed, pressing her face into his shirt when she could take no more, and he wrapped his arms around her, content.

“We have to move eventually,” she said quietly. “Sansa cannot see me like this or I’ll never hear the end of it.” 

“Like what? Thoroughly kissed?” Arya could practically hear him grinning as she hit him. 

Then another thought struck her and she laughed. “Jon is going to freak out.” 

Gendry lifted a shoulder, unconcerned. “It’s his own fault. If he hadn’t gone and opened his big mouth, none of this would have happened.” He grinned cheekily at her. “So really, the blame’s on him.” 

Arya couldn’t help but grin. “You’re right. This is _entirely_ Jon’s fault.”


	2. Boy Advice

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Arya ends up going to Gendry for "boy advice" - he just doesn't realize the "boy" in question is him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for all the encouragement on Chapter 1! I really hope you enjoy this chapter as well :)

Gendry stumbled into his apartment, doing his best not to crash into any of the furniture. Arya laughed behind him, and he heard her hand fumble along the wall for the light switch.

“You’re drunk,” she teased.

“So are you,” he replied.

“Not nearly as much as you are.” 

She was right, but hell if he was saying that out loud. “I’ll be fine. I just need some real food.” 

“Now _that_ I agree with.” 

The light flickered on, illuminating her amused face as she stood at his small kitchen counter, grinning at him. Gods help him, but he loved making her smile, even if it meant looking like a fool in the process.

Gendry ambled back to the counter, crossing his arms and leaning forward. “What are you smiling about?”

“You’re a funny drunk, has anyone ever told you that?”

“Possibly. Can’t say I remember it if they did, though.” 

Arya chuckled and shook her head. “You’re hopeless.”

“Now that, I do remember being told.” He grinned cheekily at her, pleased when her smile only widened. “Hopeless as I am, though, I do know that the pizza place stays open until 2 a.m.” 

“Thank goodness. I knew I kept you around for a reason.” Arya brushed past him to flop on the couch, and Gendry laughed. If anything, alcohol seemed to only sharpen Arya’s tongue, where it might slur others. But he felt more at ease, more willing to openly flirt with her than he might otherwise do. Though right now, he couldn’t quite remember why he held back in the first place.

“Gendry! Focus. Pizza,” Arya groused from the couch, and he grinned again.

“Yes, dear.” 

Ducking the pillow that came flying at his head, he called for delivery, ordering extra toppings, breadsticks, and a large Coke to go with. Anything to soak up the alcohol that was no doubt currently having its way with his liver.

Turning, he found Arya sprawled on the couch. Stifling another laugh, Gendry walked over and lifted her feet just enough for him to sit down, settling her legs on his lap again. 

“This was fun, wasn’t it,” Arya mumbled.

“It was.”

“Told you it would be better than Margaery’s party,” she said smugly.

Gendry reached out to tweak her nose. “I wasn’t arguing.”

“No, but those other girls certainly were.” Arya yawned, but he kept watching her anyways, trying to figure out if that had been a hint of jealousy he heard in her voice. Or if it was the alcohol making him too hopeful.

“Please don’t remind me,” he groaned instead.

Arya laughed. “You were such a hit.”

“Shut up. It was mortifying.”

“I dunno. Some of them were rather pretty.” Arya was studying her nails far too intently.

“I didn’t notice,” he responded, and it was the truth. He’d been far too busy looking for Arya so they could escape.

Arya only hummed in reply, and he tapped her knee. “What is it?”

“It’s silly.”

“Try me,” he challenged.

With a sigh, she gave in, though she wouldn’t look at him. “I suppose I envy them a bit. Not the pandering, dumb act. But … I mean, at least they knew _how_ to … flirt.” She made a face at the last word, as if it pained her to say it. 

Gendry was surprised and more than a little curious. Whatever he’d been expecting her to say, it wasn’t that. “Why would you care about that?”

“Well, what if I wanted to let someone know I maybesortof liked them? I wouldn’t have the first idea how to do that.”

Gendry suddenly felt equal parts sick and annoyed. “ _Is_ there someone?”

She shrugged, but her cheeks had become pink and she still wouldn’t look at him. _Bloody hell. I bet it’s Ned. That prick._ He made his voice as normal as possible. “There is! Who?”

“I’m not telling you,” she protested. 

_Seven hells. It was definitely Ned._

“You started this conversation,” he reminded her.

“And now I’m ending it.” Arya made to get up, but Gendry grabbed her legs and held on. 

“Oh, no you don’t.”

“Gendry! Let go!”

“Just answer this one question.”

Arya glared at him but stopped struggling. “Fine. What?”

“Why’d you tell me this?”

She hesitated, chewing on her bottom lip. Then she rolled her eyes and gave in, sinking back onto the couch cushions. “Who else could I tell? Sansa would just give me some girly answer that I could never relate to ... I definitely can’t talk to _Jon_ , and it’s not like I have loads of friends.” Arya finally met his gaze. “It was probably weird. Sorry.”

Gendry was surprised, but also foolishly pleased that she had confided in him. Then he remembered what exactly she’d said, and his mood soured again. He made an effort not to let it show.

“It’s not weird. Did you, uh, want a suggestion or something?” Now his face was probably as red as hers. Arya studied him closely, trying to decide if he was teasing. But when she realized he was serious - and _jesus, he was actually seriously doing this_ \- she nodded.

“Guys aren’t that complicated,” he began, and Arya huffed in disbelief. “Do you want to hear this or not?” He asked pointedly, and she shut up.

“If they’re like me, they’re not complicated,” he amended. “Honestly, it would be nice if girls just stopped playing games and said something nice, so that we know they’re interested. Instead of spending days wondering what a particular sentence might have meant.”

“So that’s it? Just give them a compliment?”

“Well, yeah, for starters.”

“Easier said than done,” Arya grumbled.

“Why’s that?”

Arya shook her head, but Gendry persisted. “Come on, it’s me.” 

“Well, I mean, how do I know he won’t get scared off?”

“Arya, who would be nuts enough to say no to you?” Gendry meant to laugh, but it came out utterly serious instead, and Arya only stared at him. _Ah, fuck._ He ran a hand through his hair, letting out a nervous chuckle, trying to divert back to the conversation. “Anyways, how do you know what he’d say?”

She eyed him a moment longer before replying, “I know him.” She said it so simply that it hurt him to think she was talking about someone else. He wanted to be the only one she talked about like that. Oblivious to his thoughts, Arya continued. “I don’t want to run off a good friend just on a hunch. It’s not like I have very many to start with.”

Gendry wanted to find the little pipsqueak and throttle him, however unfair that might be to Ned. What idiot couldn’t see what a catch she was? Suddenly it occurred to him that he was telling her how to … _flirt_ … with _Ned Dayne._ What the hell was he doing?

His jaw tightened and he coughed, pushing her feet off him and standing abruptly. “Right, well, you never know til you try, isn’t that what they say? I think I hear the pizza, so I’ll just go-”

“Wait, Gendry, what-”

He began to walk past her, heading for the door. Arya was up in a flash, arms crossed defiantly as she stood in his path. “Hold on. What’s going on?” 

“The pizza, it’s here-”

“Bullshit,” she shot back. “Nothing’s here. I’m not letting you leave until you talk to me properly.”

Gendry smirked. “Arya, I’m twice your size.” 

“So? I can still take you.” It was enough to make him pause, and Arya’s hands shifted to plant on her hips. “What the hell just happened?”

“What?” He tried to protest.

“Gendry, stop it. What’s wrong?”

The concerned tone in her voice wasn’t helping matters. He closed his eyes and breathed deeply before trying to smile. “Nothing, sorry. I think all the alcohol’s finally hitting me. Just got a bit sick.”

“You’re lying,” she replied flatly.

He snapped. “What do you want me to do, Arya?”

“I want you to tell me what’s wrong!” She yelled back.

“What’s wrong?” Gendry stepped closer. “What’s _wrong_ is that you are asking me for advice on how to date someone else, and I am stupidly giving it to you like a bloody fool. What’s _wrong_ is you deserve to be noticed the second you walk in the room, not after you’ve been there for an hour. And you can’t seem to see that at all.”

Her grey eyes had widened as his rant continued, and she only stared at him, speechless, when he was done. Gendry turned around, gripping the counter and closing his eyes again. Well, now he’d gone and said that. He couldn’t take it back even if he wanted to. Did he want to? He wasn’t sure.

He jumped in surprise when Arya placed a hand on his back lightly. “You’re so stupid,” she said, a touch of laughter in her voice, and Gendry whipped around.

“Yes, I’m quite aware, as you’ve told me more times than-” Her hand covered his mouth.

“You’re not listening. I’m taking your advice.” Arya smiled up at him, shy and sweet. That alone kept him quiet. “You’re very, very stupid, Gendry,” she repeated softly, and this time he heard it. She didn't mean it at all. She meant, _I maybesortof like you._

She noticed when the realization dawned on him, and her expression became equal parts hopeful and nervous. Gendry slowly took her hand away, lacing his fingers with hers and waiting for a reprimand. 

When it didn’t come, he let out a breath and smiled, feeling the relief and elation start to take over. Bending down, he pressed his forehead to hers. “You’re a huge pain in my ass,” he whispered, and felt her whole body shake against him as she laughed.

Then Arya pushed up on her toes, and their lips met in a surprised tangle of movements. She was rash and eager where he was soft and coaxing, and for a few moments they were disjointed, bumping noses and stealing small, clumsy kisses. Then Gendry wound his hands into her hair, tilting his head, and there, gods yes, that was perfect. Suddenly their lips were fitting like lock and key, molding together like old friends.

His ringing phone startled him out of it, but Arya protested incoherently and brought his face back to hers. With a growing grin, he eased his lips over hers, worrying at her bottom lip until it was plump and full, her breaths ragged. Only then did he finally release her, answering the phone. 

“The pizza’s actually here now,” he showed her the phone and laughed when she swatted at him, pushing him out the door. Bringing the boxes back upstairs, he left them on the counter and kicked the door shut. Arya was standing by the couch, twisting her hands as if unsure what to do with them all of a sudden.

“So, do you want to, uh …” Arya gestured at the pizza.

“No.” Gendry crossed the room and brought her lips back to his, feeling her arms clutch at his shoulders tightly. The food could wait until morning - he’d been waiting for Arya far too long.


End file.
